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Lane pregame interview

Lane pregame interview

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Jason, I want to ask you, as a young guy watching Craig Biggio, just what he means to this team and just how you see him step up at this time of the year.

JASON LANE: I think it means a ton for us to see a guy who's got some experience and to kind of break the ice and get some big hits early in the game like he has. For guys who might be a little nervous, I think he just settles everyone in, and everyone just goes about their business. I think he's just done a great job of setting the tone early in the games.

Jason, what has it been like in this series? You've made some things happen and contributed.

LANE: It feels good. Especially games like yesterday when, you know, they're walking Mike Lamb and, you know, I understand why they would do it, but at the same time it kind of calls you out a little bit. Don't want to be a weak link.

I think just it's been nice to come through and get a couple hits and drive some runs in and do my part. I think that's just been the great thing about this team, is everyone's been doing their part and no one's trying to carry the team. Everyone's been chipping in. I think that's why we have been able to score the runs we have in Game 1 and Game 3.

Coming into the series, there was talk of kind of that great Astros pitching and the not so great Astros offense. Just wondering what it means to you guys to have proven in the first three games that you can put some runs on the board.

LANE: You know, it definitely feels good to get those guys some runs. Andy and Roy, they both pitched great. I don't think that our offense is really second guessing itself. I think we know what we're capable of doing; it's just a matter of executing.

I think in the playoffs and the last couple games of the season, we've executed better than we have all year and so we've been able to score some runs. That's just what it takes. We have to get guys on and then execute and get runners in from third with less than two outs. Little things like that. Get guys over. We've done a great job of that. When we do that, we do score runs. The times we have been shut out, we haven't got baserunners on and haven't executed real well.

Have you ever hit a ball as high as you hit that foul ball last night?

LANE: No. I hit that good. I wish I could have kept it fair and see where it would have went.

How much of a home-field advantage do you guys have here at Minute Maid Park, especially when the roof is closed?

LANE: I think it's huge. I mean, the crowd gets so loud out there, I don't know if I've ever played at any place on the road where I've experienced anything that loud. I just can't imagine, if I'm a hitter facing Lidge, we're down a run or a couple runs in a tight situation, trying to concentrate with that kind of noise. I think it's definitely to our advantage.

It's a lot of fun playing out there on our side, too. You know you got the crowd behind you, and you do something good and you hear them roar like they do, it's a great feeling.

Did you watch the end of the Cardinals' game last night? And how difficult was the turnaround, getting back in here so early this morning? Was it easy to get rest or not?

LANE: I slept pretty good last night. I didn't watch the end of it. I tried to get to bed.

But it is definitely, being an hour earlier playing at 12 today instead of usually we play at 1:00, it is a quick turnaround. But I think with all the adrenaline in the playoff situation, I don't think it will affect anybody.

I'm wondering in your view, how important would it be to close it out today and keep the big three pitchers that you guys have intact if you do then move on to the NLCS?

LANE: I think, you know, we're in a great position. I think, you know, everyone wants to go ahead and close it out. You never want to have to go back to Atlanta for a final game; anything could happen. I think it would be great to celebrate today in front of our fans. We can get a little time to regroup before we'd have to go to St. Louis.

Courtesy of FastScripts by ASAP Sports. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.